Pipe or tube bending machine.



J. F. COX. PIPE 0B TUBE BENDING MAGHINE. APPLICATION FILED Jun. 7. 1910.

1,021,450. Patented Mar. 26, 1912.

' 2 sums-SHEET 1.

o- Ii I I v W mineaom a M'ouwg J. P.- 00 21. PIPE 0B TUBE BENDING MACHINE.

ARI-1011310]! FILED MAR. 7. 1910.

2 1 9 l 6 2 R a M d m m a wit 1409000 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES rILLMonE cox, or BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR or oNn-HALr T MATTHEW at. 030mm or BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY.

PIPE OR TUBE BEND'ING MACHINE.

1,021,450,. Original application filed June 8, 1909,

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, JAMES FILLMORE Cox a citizen of the United States, residin at Bayonne, in the county of Hudson and ta te of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pipeor'Tube Bending-Machines, of which the following is aspecification; I 1

My invention relates to improvements in 10 devices for supporting pipes or tubes- While being bent, rticu'larly of that type em pljoying a col apsible plug and chain.

*It has for its object more; especially to I protect the pipe or tube during the bend ing operation bothinside, at, and beyond the; bending point or center against rupture or "cracking which Would occur should any ovaln'ess or flattening be presentin the pipe or tube at that point. 7 J -The nature of the invention consists of hei'tain instrumentalities 'andfeaturessubbt-antially as hereinafter fully-disclosed and ldefined by the claims.

' f In the accompanying drawing illustrating 2'5 ithe preferred embodiment of my inven-* ;tion:-Figure 1 is alongitudinalsectional' gvi ew of the collapsible plugvarrangement as usedwith a revolving ball and flexible-chain: mechanism and with a mandrel or member" l55-form1n a member of a machine disclosed in a co-pending application, and of which this is a division, filed me- Ju 3 1909 Serial No. 499,868; Fig. is Side vati-on f my machine, parts of which fare embodied in said co pending application,

.sho wing the practical application of the 'coll'apsible plug. Fig. 2 is a. broken side View disclosing the. operative connection of-tlie' plug releasing lever; with the chain, also 40 shown in operative connection with the-mam drel or member, 55; Fig. 3 is a: detailed per spective View of part L as alsodisc'losed in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 isa detailed perspective view of the parts L and L,;alsoshownin Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 isa modification of my invention in longitudinal s'ectiontor bending tubing of a very thin gage, beingemployed in direct operative connection with the mandrel or member '55 and displacing in .9 this instance the collapsible plug and chain which are used for the heavier elassof Work and {on-the larger pipes andtubing.

In order to successfully bend pipe and Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 459,868. Divided and this application filed March 1910. Serial N0;"547,724.'

Patented Mar.

tubing cold itis necessary in some instances to use an inner filling at the bending point and to protect the pipe or tube to be operated upon "at; and beyond the bending point or center; There nightpossibly' occur, in the course of bending a slight ovalness or flatness which would extend slightly beyond 0 the center or bending point. Itis therefore, necessary"- to eliminate this flattening in order to retain the'pe'rfect symmetry of the out-'- line ofthe pipe or tube While being operated upon. To this endI provi de'a' steelball which is composed of two hemispherical like parts L may, respectively. Into" the center of theseis extended a link L with the end thereof receivedthereby 'rounded to the same radius, and correspondingciirvature as to'the' outside of the steel ball, form ing on the end apex-feet ball. The members L L? are held together by means: of a "fillister -h'ead should'er'equipp ed screw as at L The part-L has a siii'tabl'ebore or opening for thereceptio-n and passage therethroughof thescrw ii f As, in t-liecourse of operation the pressure transmittedto the 'balltends't o cau'se'th'e latter 'teron, such will overcome any tendency to flattening of the pipe'or' tube. The opposite end oflthe link L is co'nnecte'dto the plug'by a'similar screw L inserted into the plug and through said end of thei'ink.

In-oi-de-r topreve-nt diiiiculty in removing the pip'e'o'r ti'ibin'gfrom the plug, resulting from we'd-gi'n or sticking-pf :the pipe, have' cont rive'd the following described con- 7 struction :"The member L is" centrally of 'th'epluh (ipeningL Iheing pro: vided for fhe' 'reception tit "the ball-connect mg link If and an iidditioual openiiig' 'lf being'p'rovided font-he rec-eption of the pin L, the" link" "L extending? 't rh'nsversely through said opening L and alloWi ng o-f the requisite movement of said lin'k accord ing to the action oft-he ball; It' Will be noticed that V-sh'aped members L -L are arranged upon opposite sides of the member T1 the latter, itself,' being of'corE respondingrshape. The lateral members Li;

L- are p vi'dedhvith dove-tailed grooves "L which receive correspondingly shaped tongues orv ribs L upon the member L The niember'-L-- "has asquare or angular 105 opening L which receives correspondingly in for instance.

shaped pins L IE between which is interposed a spring L for normally holding the pins under outwardly thrusting pressure forsuitable frictionaliengagement thereof with the members L", L or notches L therein as seen in' Fig. 1. Small steel blocks L are let into the rear ends of the members L L and one also partly into the member L, being held in place therein by screws L, the steel blocks being thus controlled in forward movement, which they are designed to have in the course of the bending operation.-

It will now be understood that should the pipe or tube have a tendency to stick or bind onv the mandrel, a slight movement rearwardly of the pipeor tube will decrease the rearwardly, the position of none of the other I parts being disturbed.

The plug is suitably held in place in the pipe by means of a mandrel suitably connected thereto, and extending rearwardly and secured to the upper portion of a leg or support F of the machineframe by means of a lock-nut 31 and a hand-wheel 28, co-

operating with said lock-nut and suitably.

applied to. said mandrel, the plug being adapted to be set at the required point with in the tube-or pipe for bending, by suitably manipulating said mandrel.

In order to remove the plug. in using it, in connection I with the long lengths otpipe. the hand-wheel 28 is grasped and suitably turned to move the mandrel rearwardly, the pipe or tubethus being released from the plug. In order to re-sct the plug the hand-wheelie turned in the reverse directiouithe movementofthe mandrel being controlled so as to stop the plug at the desired point beyond the center by loclcnuts 3t and 3t arranged upon the mandrel just outside of the hand wh eel as clearly disclosed by Fig. 1. By 'suitably' manipulating or adjusting the lock-nut, 31, the n'iandrcl. with the plug. will be effectively locked in position against any casual movement of the plug in the pipe or tubing.

ln operating upon long lengths of pipe or ll.ll)lll,2'., in which case a mandrel of considerable length is employed. there is a tendency of the mandrel t'osag or drop centrally. and in order to ovcrcomc this dilliculty. l

' irovide a su )ort or rest 21 For the tubilu l h or pipe, which rest or support is designed there are other bends,

diameter of the plug and cause the members I thereof.

to be adjustable to accommodate the different diameters of pipe or tubing. Said sup port; comprises preferably brackets 21 merged into a lever, fulcrumed in position and bearing a. roller 24:, said brackets being held together by a connecting rod 25. In order to provide for suitably adjusting and holding the rest or support in adjusted position,I providein connection therewith a segmental rack 23 engaged by a suitably pivoted pin 22. Still,

which are made upon short lengths of pipe, which cannot to advantage, from the stand-point of time and labor saving, be formed by the previous mentioned means of removing the plug. \Vhile. however, these means are of advantage and the only means which may be successfully adopted in connection with the longer lengths of pipe or tubing. I am enabled to secure good results in the employment of a flexible connection orchain, such as shown iii Fig. 2. which is applied to the forward end of the mandrel 55 by eye-and-pin connection, as indicated at L". the same being adapted to hold the rear end of the mandrel securely in fastened position. In order to remove the plug with this arrangement I have pro vidcd a lever L as shown, it being suitably tulcrumed. as for instance upon a rod or shaft a whicb. the frame of the machine. The lever L is provided at the upper end with a suitable notcln curvature rhiudentation for engaging a flexible member or chain connected to the mandrel and designated by the referencecharactcrs L. L L". L". and L The connect ing links of the flexible parts as indicated by U etc., are connected to each other by 111ea1'is. o;t' .pins as L, each of which acts as a pivotfllipon which the links swing. Ample space is allowed between. the y'arious linltsto permitfrecdom oi movement A lug on the rear end of the member L of the plug has a passage or bore L re ceiving a pm of said chain for elfccting conncction therebetwcen. It will be understood that by suitably manipulating the levcr L the required movement is imparted to the plug, as for instance in moving it rearwardly or forwardly, which would have the effect, it. is apparent to collapse or reduce and expand the plug, respectively, the purpose of which has been made apparent from the foregoing description. l lven this form of collapsible plug and ball joint. may be displaced by a more suitable means for operating upon the tubing or pipe, luiving thinner walls and ot' sol'lcr substance, such as annealed brass tubing and tubing oi the less resistive compositions. such as white metal. nickel. clc.. and to that cml. as suggested by Fig. 3. l (lit-cl suilable screwthrcadcd connection between the forward the same being suitably in practice is supported by tab end of the mandrel 55 and one en'd of the rod'L".

This connection is rendered more eflective by the application of a lock-nut L to the connecting rod L abutting ,p

against said end of mandrel. This connecting rod has turned upon its other enda half ball-shaped head L over which is fitted a preferably steel sleeve or member L Through'this sleeve on member L, which has a suitable recess or bore, is insertedthe rod L, which forms a swivel, upon which it depends for freedom of movement against a 'hemispherical end or head L Rod L is threaded at its forward end for application' thereto of a, ,nut L through which passes a forward connecting rod L upon one end of which is also fitteda hemispherical head L and which also serves in connection) with member L as aswivel. The rod L projects forwardly and through the member L which is a similar arrangement to the rod --L and is secured thereto, upon each side, by means'of locking nuts L, If", respectively. as per Fig. 5, is adopted, rod L takes the relative position, upon the interior of the tube, of the ltp'e volving ball L L as in Fig. 1. In the use of this construction it is necessary that the mandrel be stationary, making it necessary to remove the tubing When this system,

from the machine after it has been slid off the members L, L of Fig. 5. In order to plug and a mandrel connected to the aforesaid parts, for bending tubes or pipes' 2. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a flexible plug,

arod connection therefor, a revoluble ball connected to said plug and adjusting angularlever for said parts.

3. In a machine of the character described, a collapsible plug arrangement, a

revolving ball connected thereto, a flexible connection for said .plug, and a mandrel connected to said parts.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. JAMES FILLMORE COX. Witnesses:

JOHN J. RYAN, MATTHEW T. CRONIN. 

